1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus and an image forming unit.
2. Related Art
Conventionally, as a unit integrally formed of various functional members for use in an image forming apparatus, there is a detachable unit (which may also be referred to as a cartridge) attachable to and detachable from an image forming apparatus.
Herein, the image forming apparatuses are, for example, the ones each of which forms an image on a recording medium using an electrophotographic image forming method. These include a copier, a printer (such as a laser printer or a full-color printer), a facsimile apparatus, and the like.
The various functional members are members for use in an image forming process. For example, the functional member is an image holding body member and a member for transfer, cleaning, charge elimination, and the like. In these units, it is known that the units having a developer in the inside thereof and including a developer accommodating part. During shipment, the developer accommodating part is rendered in a closed state so as to prevent the developer from being scattered. And immediately before mounting in a body of the image forming apparatus (i.e., before using), the developer accommodating part is released from the closed state.
As the member let the developer accommodating part be in the closed state, a sealing member is often used.
For example, the sealing member seals between the initial developer accommodation part and the toner accommodation part. As result of peeling off the sealing member and thereafter mounting the cartridge in the body of image forming apparatus, driving of the developer sleeve is started, which allows the initial developer to be loaded on the developer sleeve surface.
Incidentally, for the image forming apparatus, the unit and the image forming apparatus may be separately packed. However, the following case has often occurred. For factory shipment, the unit is packed (packed together) in a state mounted in the body of the image forming apparatus. This reduces the packing volume, which improves the transport efficiency and the like.
For the image forming apparatus delivered in such a state to a user, the unit is removed from the body once in order to carry out the peeling off operation (or the drawing out operation, i.e., sealing release) of the sealing member for use.
However, a user unfamiliar with the structure of the image forming apparatus is required to carry out the operation affecting the apparatus inside. The user may touch other members carelessly.
Further, the user may also touch by mistake a site on which oil components such as fingerprints, dust, and the like are not desired to be deposited (a site which may cause image deterioration and the like) of the unit, or may damage the site.